Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the backfield in Week 11's loss to the Miami Dolphins, handling 15 carries for 79 yards and adding one reception (one target) for six yards. Rodriguez should be expected to lead Washington's backfield again out of their Week 12 bye against a stout Denver Broncos defense on Sunday Night Football. The third-year back from Kentucky missed Wednesday's practice this week due to an illness, but practiced in full on Thursday and Friday and heads into Sunday without an injury designation. He doesn't have the highest single-week upside because of the lack of receiving upside, but he's found the end zone in two of the last three games to go with 160 yards on 33 carries. Plus, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt should stay involved on early downs while Jeremy McNichols handles the pass-down work. Rodriguez ranks as RotoBaller's RB39 in PPR leagues for Week 13 against the Broncos, who have allowed the 10th fewest PPR points per game to opposing running backs.
Nov 28, 2025 7:25 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) was absent during Wednesday's practice due to an illness, but it shouldn't affect his status for Sunday Night Football against the Denver Broncos. Rodriguez has established himself as Washington's primary ball carrier in recent weeks with the struggles of rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The third-year back out of Kentucky led the backfield with a 45.3% snap share in Washington's Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, handling a career high 15 carries for 79 yards to go with one reception (one target) for six yards as a receiver. He won't add much value as a receiver as Jeremy McNichols handles the pass-down responsibilities, but he should receive the majority of the early down work with Croskey-Merritt mixing in. Rodriguez has a tough matchup in Week 13 against Denver, but should get enough volume to profile as a low-end RB3.
Nov 27, 2025 12:40 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) missed Wednesday's practice due to an illness, according to The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala. Rodriguez's status for the Sunday night primetime game against the visiting Denver Broncos in Week 13 is worth monitoring, but the 25-year-old should be cleared by then. In recent weeks, C-Rod has taken over early-down duties in Washington's backfield from struggling rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, while Jeremy McNichols continues to be the team's primary pass-catching back. Rodriguez should be good to go against Denver, but his fantasy stock is trending down this week in a bad matchup with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota set to make another start. The Broncos' strong defense has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game (88.5) in 2025.
Nov 26, 2025 6:30 PM EST
In his final game before his team's Week 12 bye, Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. recorded 79 rushing yards on a season-high 15 carries against the Miami Dolphins. The Commanders have operated with a committee backfield of Rodriguez Jr., Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Jeremy McNichols for most of the 2025 season. However, Rodriguez Jr. has recorded 33 carries and two rushing touchdowns over the team's last three games and could be emerging as the team's lead back on early downs. The 25-year-old has just one reception across nine games played, so his fantasy upside is limited in PPR leagues. However, Rodriguez Jr. is still worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into Washington's Week 13 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Nov 24, 2025 10:43 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was the lead back in Week 11, handling 15 carries for 79 yards in the overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins. Rumors were swirling about Rodriguez taking over the backfield from rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and he was efficient in his first game as the lead back. Rodriguez played 45% of the snaps, while Croskey-Merritt and receiving back Jeremy McNichols played 26% of the snaps each. While the Commanders' offense has been lackluster to say the least, reinforcements are on the way, with Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Terry McLaurin (quad) nearing a return. If the offensive production improves, Rodriguez could be a sneaky producer for fantasy managers down the stretch.
Nov 20, 2025 10:35 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. posted season-bests in Sunday's 16-13 OT loss to the Dolphins in Madrid, and would be an intriguing waiver add if he retained his workload moving forward. The 26-year-old recorded his highest snap share of the season (45%) in Week 11, while carving out 79 yards on his 15 carries. It's modest production, but noteworthy considering he was the clear preferred option on the ground ahead of both Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols for the first time all campaign. The offense's floor has dropped significantly since quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) suffered another injury. That said, a shift in backfield philosophy could put Rodriguez Jr. on the lower end of the fantasy map. The next time he takes the field will be against a staunch Denver Broncos defense in Week 13.
Nov 17, 2025 11:18 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 79 yards on 15 carries during Sunday's Week 11 loss against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid. He also converted his lone target into a six-yard reception. Washington has operated out of a backfield committee for most of this season, but it now appears that Rodriguez has taken over as the team's lead back. Not only did he have more carries than Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols combined, but he also had more yards per carry than each of them. Rodriguez is now averaging 9.9 fantasy points (full-PPR) over his last three games, and he handled a season-high 44.8 percent snap share on Sunday morning. Fantasy managers should view Rodriguez as a high-end RB3/flex on the other side of his Week 12 bye.
Nov 16, 2025 4:02 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) is off the injury report and is good to go for Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain. Rodriguez was a full participant in practice every day this week, and he should be in line to lead Washington's backfield in carries on Sunday. The 25-year-old played 17 of the team's 25 snaps, handled six of the 10 running back carries, and ran seven routes on 13 dropbacks in the first half before leaving with the injury. Rodriguez has scored touchdowns in three of the past four weeks and is the much better fit as the short-yardage back for Washington due to his physical running style and ability to fight through contact. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt played only four snaps and had two carries in the first half, but then played the majority of the snaps in the second half with Rodriguez out. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said Rodriguez "has played at a high level" when given the opportunity and has upside in a positive matchup against the Dolphins, who have allowed 4.9 yards per carry and the ninth most PPR points per game to opposing running backs. Rodriguez is a better play in standard and half PPR formats due to his limited receiving upside, checking in as RotoBaller's RB32 in half PPR for Week 11.
Nov 14, 2025 7:40 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) will play in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins and will have a key role, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Rodriguez, who exited the Week 10 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions early with a shoulder injury, put in a full practice on Wednesday and will be good to go this week. Before getting hurt on Sunday, the 25-year-old saw six carries for 16 yards and a touchdown. With rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt struggling of late, the Commanders have been giving more work to Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols out of the backfield. At the very least, Rodriguez will have some RB3/flex appeal in deeper fantasy leagues this weekend as Washington's preferred goal-line option in a plus matchup versus Miami.
Nov 12, 2025 12:45 PM EST
ESPN reporter John Keim reports that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn mentioned that running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) will play Sunday. Rodriguez exited Week 10's contest against the Detroit Lions in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury and did not return. Before the Week 10 matchup, Rodriguez was chosen to be the team captain, and many reports heading into the week were suggesting that he might take over as the starter, and the way the first half played out, he was getting a majority of the work. However, we never got to see that fully play out due to his injury and his absence from the second half of the game. Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols remained involved and got all of the work in the second half. Still, given that neither Croskey-Merritt nor McNichols has run away with their opportunities as the starter, Rodriguez has a prime opportunity to do so in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, who are bottom-10 against opposing running backs on the season. Now that he's confirmed to play, Rodriguez should firmly be in the RB3/flex conversation heading into Sunday.
Nov 12, 2025 9:41 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) exited during the second half of Sunday's Week 10 contest against the Detroit Lions. At the time of his departure, he had six carries for 16 rushing yards and a touchdown, sharing work fairly evenly with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols. Rodriguez Jr. was named team Captain for Sunday's contest, and many reports suggested a potential shift in Commander running back ownership. Still, due to his injury, we couldn't see exactly how things would have played out. Croskey-Merritt ended the game with 11 carries for 30 yards (2.7 YPC), playing most of the second half, while McNichols finished with five carries for 25 yards. The Commanders head to Spain for their Week 11 tilt with the Miami Dolphins, who are bottom-10 against opposing running backs on the season, making Rodriguez Jr. a desperate flex-worthy start, if healthy next week.
Nov 10, 2025 9:38 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (shoulder) exited during the second half of Sunday's Week 10 contest against the Detroit Lions. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had six carries for 16 rushing yards and a touchdown, sharing work with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols. As long as this backfield continues to operate out of a committee, all three backs will be tough to trust in fantasy football. Managers who roster any of the three running backs should stay tuned for updates on Rodriguez, as his status will impact the backfield split in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins.
Nov 9, 2025 7:14 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is coming off his best performance of the season last week. In Week 9, Rodriguez rushed a season-high 12 times for 65 yards and scored a touchdown in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Finally, the Commanders have decided to give Rodriguez a chance and he proved he's up for the challenge. He figures to at least split the early-down work with Jacory Croskey-Merritt while Jeremy McNichols handles the pass-down duties. It's not a favorable situation for fantasy managers, but Rodriguez is looking like the best of the bunch right now. He'll be worth a look as a flex option in deep leagues for Week 10.
Nov 9, 2025 7:19 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is coming off his best game of the season in Week 9 against the Seahawks and has been named a team captain for Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Lions. Rodriguez recorded a season-high 12 carries for 65 yards and his second touchdown of the season last week against Seattle and is expected to see more work in Week 10. The third-year back out of Kentucky has consistently run hard when given opportunities. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury praised Rodriguez when speaking with the media on Friday, saying, "We have to take what's blocked," and adding that Rodriguez "did a really nice job" of doing that and has "played at a high level" whenever the team has needed him to step up. The 25-year-old should be in line to at least split early down carries with rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, with the potential to take on more if he continues to run well while veteran Jeremy McNichols handles pass-down responsibilities. Rodriguez is in flex consideration for Week 10 against the Detroit Lions.
Nov 8, 2025 11:32 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is primed to take on a bigger workload in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions. Rodriguez was named a team captain for Sunday's matchup, and coming off his best game of the season in Week 9 against the Seahawks, the 25-year-old is poised to see an increased workload. Rodriguez played 35.5% of the team's snaps in Week 9, which was his highest in a game since Week 4, and handled a season-high 12 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. The third-year back out of Kentucky is a physical, downhill-style runner who has earned more opportunities with how hard he's run in his limited opportunities. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has led Washington's backfield in carries this season, but struggled over the past four games, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. Rodriguez is in line to at least split early-down work with Croskey-Merritt in Week 10 and has the potential to emerge as the team's primary ball-carrier.
Nov 7, 2025 3:17 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is coming off his best showing of the year in Sunday night's blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Rodriguez played 34% of the offensive snaps and saw a season-high 12 rushing attempts for a season-high 65 yards and his second touchdown of the year. The 25-year-old still has not been targeted in the passing game, but both of his touchdowns have come in the last three weeks, and he could start to see more involvement with rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt struggling in recent weeks as the team's lead back. However, fantasy managers should still temper expectations for Washington's backfield now that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) is out for the foreseeable future. Expect opposing defenses to load the box and make veteran QB Marcus Mariota beat them. Rodriguez is only a stash candidate for RB depth in deep fantasy leagues.
Nov 5, 2025 12:23 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. had his best game of the season in Sunday night's blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, handling 12 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Rodriguez scored his second touchdown of the season, while the 12 carries and 65 yards were both the second-highest totals of his three-year career. The 25-year-old saw the same number of carries as rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and could be working his way back into a timeshare on early downs, with the rookie struggling on the ground of late. Rodriguez is a physical, bruising back that will get the yardage that is blocked for him and adds a few more after contact as he's always falling forward. The Washington offense will be without star quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the foreseeable future, but Marcus Mariota is capable of running the same style of offense. Rodriguez offers waiver wire value in deeper leagues headed into Week 10.
Nov 5, 2025 12:11 AM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has seen his snap share decline over the past few weeks. After playing at least 25% of the snaps and handling five or more carries in Weeks 3-5, he's logged just 12 snaps and four carries over the past three games. The backfield touches have consolidated around rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt on early downs, with veteran Jeremy McNichols handling pass downs both as a receiver and pass protector. Rodriguez could see more touches in Week 9, but it's a brutal matchup against a Seattle defense that has allowed a league-best 3.3 yards per carry. Rodriguez should be left on waivers for Week 9.
Oct 31, 2025 10:11 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. got back into the rotation in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, handling three carries for 12 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season. The touchdown came in garbage time, but it was an impressive play to reach across the goal line. Rodriguez played only one offensive snap in Week 6 against the Bears, but that could have been more related to his health, as he didn't practice at all during the week leading up to the game. He was cleared from the injury report ahead of Week 7 and should be all set for Monday night against the Chiefs. The 25-year-old has played almost exclusively on early downs this season for Washington and could mix in more with rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt going forward. Rodriguez is a better play in standard leagues because he doesn't add much as a receiver. He could find success if he gets enough opportunities against a Chiefs run defense that ranks 22nd in rush success rate (42.6%).
Oct 25, 2025 8:23 PM EST
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. played only one snap in Week 6 against the Bears after missing practice all week with a calf injury. Rodriguez is now off the injury report heading into Sunday and should be expected to play a bigger role. He did, however, drift back into a depth role in Week 5 against the Chargers. He played only four snaps in the first three quarters while rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt handled the bulk of the touches. All five of Rodriguez's carries in that game came in the fourth quarter when Washington was leading by two scores. Croskey-Merritt will likely lead the backfield again, leaving Rodriguez with only a handful of touches against a Dallas defense that has been repeatedly gashed by opposing running backs. He's safe to leave on waivers for Week 7.
Oct 17, 2025 9:53 PM EST
Copyright 2025 Fantasy Football Calculator | Image Source: Icon Sportswire. Not affiliated with the National Football League (NFL).
Stats powered by FantasyData.com.
